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Did you know that organizing a retreat while camping presents you with the perfect opportunity and forum that promises team bonding? No matter the size of participants or the demographics, planning a successful camp retreat can be tasking. As the leader, you’re not just responsible for the daily schedule, housing logistics on the site, and so much more. In this guide, we list five tips to help you plan and organize a successful retreat for your next camp.
Define The Objectives Of Your Camping Retreat
Why did the group decide on a camping retreat in the first place? That’s the first question you want to keep in mind. Usually, camping retreats serve as an avenue to reflect on personal performance at work and in day-to-day life. Plus, it also helps people get a detailed picture of their plans while keeping in mind your group goals.
In addition to goals, camp retreats fosters group bonding, promote lifetime friendship and help people with psychological fears overcome their worries. Apart from this, an additional goal of a camping retreat could be to have fun and interactive social time. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to consider the goals from the offset because they help put the organizational part of the retreat on the right path.
Be Smart About Camping Location
Your planned retreats could go to waste when you overlook the campsite. When considering camp location, various factors co*kes into play. Some of them include:
Group Goals
If the group retreat will be based solely on team building, it’s important to choose a location that promises ample indoor and outdoor activities. For instance, on a company retreat corporate workers for should employee should consider locations like resorts or hotels that provide them with creative activities to reduce stress. On the flip side, a team looking to work while having fun wants to consider a venue with access to WiFi and ample table space.
Budget
It’s no surprise that price is one of the biggest determinants of retreat venues. Domestic flights differ significantly from international flights. Make sure to consider the budget carefully before deciding on a retreat location.
Length of Stay
Most times, your budget may be enough to cover for a longer duration on your proposed campsite. However, your allocated duration may not. It’s always best to plan for a one-week retreat, whether on an international or local camp trip.
Season
Once you decide the location, consider the ‘when’ of the trip. When does the team leave? During the warm weather or the chilly winter? If the planned fun activities include hiking and swimming, the warm fall works best. For activities like skiing, the cold weather may be the best time to consider.
Ask About Meal Plans
Oftentimes, your desired retreat location may have a stipulated minimum dining option and meal services for a large group. It’s important to note that everyone has different tastes, and some members of your group may not want to eat from the hotel. If you're considering an off-site meal plan for your team, make sure to choose a dining spot earlier than the D-day. This way, you easily secure reservations without stress.
Get on with Planning Creative Activities, but give room for Flexibility
Depending on the goal of the retreat, you may already have structured activities to complete. However, it's always a smart move to leave some unallocated free time to make the retreat experience more enjoyable. A fun creative checklist should include:
- Team building activities like scavenger hunts and cooking promotes oneness and good teamwork.
- Flexible options for any relaxing choice of sport to accommodate teammate preferences and ensure their comfort. Sporting activities may include wellness routines like yoga, hiking, and climbing.
- Consider setting up talk shows that detail different areas of life. A fun aspect of this talk show maybe that it comes from a teammate.
- Host personal sessions with group members to know more about their life outside of work.
Plan Early
One factor to keep in mind when planning a successful retreat for your next camp is that timing is key! Planning early gives you room to determine the group size, accommodation needs, meal plans, flight cost, activities, and every other fun aspect of the trip. If your group has 50 participants, it's best to make plans six months earlier. A group of twenty or lesser can work with a planning period or three months.
The Bottom Line
Being in charge of the organizational details is easier said than done as you’ll have to consider how to pick the venue, what meal to eat, fun activities to hold, budget, and several other time-engaging factors. Plus, without proper planning, you might even fall victim to a last-minute rush, leaving room for a failed camping retreat. The good news, planning and conducting a successful retreat for your next camp doesn’t have to be tasking. All it takes is for you to pick the right location, finalize the budget, be flexible, and start planning for the trip earlier than possible.
Retreat Travel Company
